As you know, the thumbs-up feature is used to let the community's most approved photo be treated as the thumbnail for that plant. I think it's a good idea for a database that has almost a quarter million plants in it and only a handful of moderators.
But there are plants that need a personal selection, and I am pleased to say that moderators can now control the thumbnails. Here's how to do it:
Go to the plant you want to change. Select the photo that you want to be the thumbnail, and view the full size image of the plant. Then scroll to the bottom where the actions are located, and click on "Make this image the plant's main thumbnail". Then confirm your choice and you're done.
You can always go back later on and change your mind, choosing a different image to be the thumbnail. But once you choose one, then the thumbs-ups for that plant will no longer affect the thumbnail selection.